Wanderlust

eading out of Dubai, we pass and disappear into the azure sea. WHERE THE through the emirates of Sharjah It’s nearly afternoon when we drive into and till we reach Khasab, the capital city of the region, and the checkpoint at the border of there isn’t a soul in sight. A bright white, HOman. Completing quick entry procedures, red and green Omani flag flutters from the DESERT MEETS we drive down a stretch of splendid coastal rooftop of a 17th-century, Portuguese-era road hugging a cliff face towards the fort in the centre of the city. Musandam’s peninsula of Musandam, a piece of locals belonging to the 3 main tribes that lies between the Persian and Omani — Dahoori, Kumzari, and Shehi — earn THE SEA Gulfs and to the south of the Strait of their livelihood from the ocean by fishing Hormuz. My husband, daughter and I have and trading. Musandam occupies a Musandam, also known as ‘ of Arabia’, is a lived in Dubai for 2 years now, but I still strategically important position, as around gorgeous peninsula in Oman that is a must-visit for its can’t wrap my head around how the desert 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes fjords, dolphins and mysterious islands. morphs into jagged cliffs that tumble down through its waters. Text CHAITALI PATEL

Xpeditionr/Shutterstock.com Musandam is approximately 192 km from Dubai. GoAir offers direct flights to Dubai from Kannur. Visit GoAir.in or mobile app for more Connect information.

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Early next morning, we set sail For splendid views of on a traditional dhow or wooden the fjords, drive up to boat to explore the khors or fjords of Jebel al Harim or the Musandam, popularly referred to as ‘Mountain of Women’, the ‘Norway of Arabia’. Hassan, our boatman, expertly steers the dhow, the highest point in taking us further away from the port Musandam. till all signs of human habitation fade. Just as we settle against the cushions propped by the side of the dhow with cardamom-laced Arabian coffee, we hear loud splashes in the waters around. Looking over, we spot humpback dolphins swimming alongside. On cue, they cut through the surface of the water, showing themselves in all their glory before going in again. Their fluidity and agility mirror our excitement. Gulls circle above watching the action before heading back to their perch on the craggy outcrops by the coast. The sand-coloured barren cliffs, weathered and battered by water and wind, stand like sentinels on duty, wearing their battle scars with pride. I squint my eyes to spot any signs of life that may be tucked away in the crevices, but find nothing. The lack of colour is made up by the sea which is a cocktail of jewelled tones of sapphire CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: and emerald. Hop on a traditional Arabian dhow and cruise along Musandam’s waters for a once-in-a-lifetime Closer to noon, the sun beats experience; one can spot dolphins while sailing here; the best way to gape at the sight of the fjords is down unsparingly, turning the blue to get on a boat Robert Haandrikman/Shutterstock.com; Aline Jaquet/Alamy Stock Photo; bella reji/Shutterstock.com bella Photo; Stock Jaquet/Alamy Aline Robert Haandrikman/Shutterstock.com;

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accessible only by boat. Only adults live on the island as the children are sent away to study on the mainland. Every Friday, the boats bring fresh water to the village. Further ahead is , a former British telegraph station, set up to aid communication between Britain and India. Stories abound about how loneliness and isolation drove the soldiers posted there to madness. It’s late afternoon by the time we return to Khasab, and it wears a desolate look. Like most small towns, it bursts to life in the evenings. From our room at the Atana Musandam Resort overlooking the waterways, we watch boats coming in at the end of the day. In the distance, we see men dressed in flowing robes and traditional headgear scuttle towards the local mosque. Life in this part of the world, like the khors holding their ground, continues unhurried and rooted in tradition, and the sea bears witness to it all.

The waters around Musandam play host to bottlenose and humpback dolphins, besides turtles, stingrays, angelfish, snappers and sharks. waters into patches of molten silver. Hassan leads us into a cove and kills the engine. The sea around Musandam is considered to have some of the best preserved corals in the world and is a sought-after diving spot. We chose to explore the rich marine life by snorkelling in the shallow parts. I put on my life jacket and dive into the water, which is surprisingly cold despite the searing heat. After an hour or so, as we set sail back towards Khasab, Hassan told us SeraphP/Shutterstock.com Photo; Stock Hemis/Alamy about the small villages we passed. FROM TOP: One such, Khama, has 5 families Khasab Fort, constructed by the Portuguese in the 17th century, is now home to one of Oman’s best with 25 inhabitants in total and is ethnographic museums; Musandam’s coral reefs house a variety of exotic marine life

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